mercy upon us, have mercy upon us moft merciful father; for thy fon our Lord Jefus Chrift's fake, forgive us all that is paft, and grant that we may ever hereafter ferve and please thee in newnefs of life, to the honour and glory of thy name, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. Rubrick. Then fhall the prieft (or bishop being prefent) ftand up, and turning himself to the people, pronounce this ABSOLUTION. The Minister. Directions. When the absolution beAlmighty God, our heagins, then hold your peace and venly father, who of his great attend to the minifter with all mercy hath promifed for-your heart; and placed in an humgiveness of fins to all them ble posture, beg earnestly of God that with hearty repentance, that he will pleafe to confirm in and true faith, turn unto heaven the abfolution of your him; have mercy upon you, fins, pronounced at this time, by pardon and deliver you from his minifter. But for any one to all your fins, confirm and repeat the abfolution word for ftrengthen you in all good-word with the minifter, is very nefs, and bring you to ever-abfurd, and news much ignorance: lafting life, thro' Jefus Chrift for the people's part here is to be filent and to attend, and to Jay nothing but a meft earnest Amen, with a firm refolution to lead a new life. And therefore let me warn in all the publick prayers, that you join with the minifter where you are bid, and at all other times be filent, attend and make it your own, by faying a hearty Amen. our Lord. Amen. you The obferving order and decency in prayer tends much to edi fication; whereas the contrary begets difirallion, and difturbs both yourfelf and your neighbour; it offends devout and understanding people mightily, to hear men and women say their prayers abfurdly and indecently, holding their tongues where they should speak, and joining with the minifter aloud, where they should only hearken and fay Amen. But what can be more improper than to hear them promifcuoufly abfolve themselves, and one another, and taking the priestly of fice on them in a part of it, which is one of the most diftinguishing he bas? When When the abfolution is over, attend diligently to the sentences of fcripture, which the minifter is to read: and when he bids your lift up your hearts to God, you must be fure not only to do it in word, but in deed, and with great carneftness. Then fhall the Prieft fuy; Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Chrift faith unto all that truly turn to him. Come unto me all ye that travel and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Matth. xi. 28. : So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten fon, to the end that all that believe in him fhould not perifh, but have everlafting life. John iii. 16. Hear alfo what Saint Paul faith. This is a true faying, and worthy of all men to be received, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners. 1 Tim. i. 15. Hear alfo what St. John faith. If any man fin, we have an advocate with the father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our fins. I John ii. I. After which the Prieft shall proceed, saying; Lift up your hearts. Anfw. We lift them up unto the Lord. Prieft. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. ¶Then fhall the Priest turn to the Lord's table and fay, It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we fhould at all times, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O Lord, † holy father almighty, everlasting God. t ther] must be omitted t These words [holy + Trinity Sunday. Here fhall follow the proper preface, according to the time, if there be any efpecially appointed; or elfe immediately fhall follow, F 2 There Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hofts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord moft high. Amen. Proper Prefaces. Upon Christmas-day, and feven days after. Because thou didst give Jefus Chrift thine only fon to be born, as at this time, for us; who by the operation of the holy ghoft was made very man, of the fubftance of the virgin Mary his mother, and that without spot of fin, to make us clean from all fin. Therefore, with angels, &c. Upon Eafter-day, and feven days after. But chiefly we are bound to praife thee for the glorious refurrection of thy fon Jefus Christ our Lord: for he is the very pafchal lamb, which was offer'd for us, and hath taken away the fin of the world; who by his death hath deftroy'd death, and by his rifing to life again hath restored us to everlasting life. Therefore, with angels, &c. Upon Afcenfion-day, and feven days after. Through thy moft dearly beloved fon Jefus Chrift our Lord, who after his moft glorious refurrection manifeftly appeared to all his apoftles, and in their fight afcended into heaven to prepare a place for us, that where he is, thither we might also ascend, and reign with him in glory. Therefore with angels, &c.. ¶ Upon Whit-funday, and fix days after. Through Jefus Chrift our Lord, according to whose moft true promife the holy ghoft came down as at this time from heaven, with a fudden great found, as if it had been a mighty wind, in the likeness of fiery tongues, lighting upon the apoftles, to teach them and lead them into all truth, giving them both the gift of divers languages, and alfo boldnefs with fervent zeal, conftantly to preach the gospel unto all nations, whereby we have been brought from darkness and error, into the light and true knowledge of thee, and of thy fon Jefus Chrift. Therefore with angels, &c. ¶ Upon the feast of Trinity only. Who art one God, one Lord; not only one perfon but three perfons in one fubftance; for that which we believe of the glory of the father, the fame we believe of the fon, and of the holy ghoft, without any difference or inequality. Therefore with angels, &c. After each of which prefaces fhall immediately be fung or faid, Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, holy, ho ly Lord God of hofts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord, moft high. Amen. Rubrick. Then fhall the priest, kneeling down at the Lord's table, fay in the name of all them that shall receive the communion, this prayer following. The Minister. Directions. We do not prefume to When the priest acknowcome to this thy table, Oledgesin is form of humiliation merciful Lord, trufting in his own, and the communicant's our own righteoufnefs, but unworthiness, and God's unmein thy manifold and greatrited kindness in admitting them mercies. We are not worto his holy table, make this act of thy fo much as to gather up humiliation your own by your the crumbs under thy table; but thou art the fame Lord, whofe property is always to have mercy grant us therefore, gracious Lord, fo to eat the flesh of thy dear fon Jefus devout attention, and joining with an hearty Amen. F 3 Christ, Chrift, and to drink his blood, that our finful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our fouls wafh'd through his moft precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen. Rubrick. When the priest, ftanding before the table, bath fo order'd the bread and wine, that he may with more readiness and decency break the bread before the people, and take the cup into his hands, he fall fay the prayer of CONSECRATION as followeth, The Minister. Directions. Almighty God our hea- This is the prayer of convenly father, who of thy ten-fecration, to be faid by the priest der mercy did give thine alone; and whilst he is confecraonly fon Jefus Chrift to fuf-ting the bread and wine, raise up fer death upon the crofs for thy foul to fee with the eye of faith our redemption, who made what great things the Lord bath left thee in that facrament; and there (by his one oblation of pray that they may be a means of himfelf once offered) a full, conveying into your foul all the beperfect, and fuficient facri-nefits of his precious death, faying fice, oblation, and fatisfac-fecretly, tion for the fins of the whole! End down thy fpirit and world, and did inftitute, and S blefling upon this means of in his holy gospel command grace and falvation, which thou us to continue a perpetual thyfelf, O Jefu, haft ordain'd. memory of that his precious death until his coming again: hear us, O merciful father, we most humbly beseech thee, and grant that we receiving thefe thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy fon our Saviour Jefus Chrift's holy nftitution, in remembrance of his death and paffion, may be partakers of his moft bleffed body and blood: who, in the fame night that he was betrayed, (a) (a) Here the priest is took bread; and when he had given thanks (b) he brake it, and gave it to his difciples, faying, Take, eat, (c) this is to take the patten into his bands. (b) And here to break the bread. (c) And here to lay his bands upon all the bread. my |